Will Macbook Pro Retina 15" Cut it?

[stevelees]

I am considering off loading my Mac Pro and instead use my MacBook Pro Retina for my music work. I run MOTU DP8 and do mixing more so than recording.

I generally run about 24 tracks of audio and perhaps 6 MIDI tracks. I use MacFive Sampler, NI Komplete Ultimate, Omnisphere and a several others.

I would also use external thunderbolt drives to store samples etc....and my audio interface is a UA Apollo Dual for which I will need to buy the thunderbolt adapter.

Is anyone else using a similar setup, if so how does it perform for you?

[mikehalloran]

It depends. Your hardware configuration makes a big difference with questions like these. It's a good idea to put it in your signature.

Omnisphere is a CPU/RAM hog. DP 8.05 in Mavericks is better at taming the beast than anything earlier from reports in other threads.

Since this computer is not expandable once ordered, you certainly want the version with the i7 chip and 16G RAM. I don't know that anything less gives you a fighting chance. The extra speed of one i7 over another isn't such a big deal with DP but the i7 is much faster for some processes than the i5 (with others it doesn't make a difference).

If your MBP Retina is an i5 with 4G or 8G RAM, it might still work but you are going to get really good about conserving your resources. Even with an i7 and 16G, you will learn to be pretty adept at it.

Offloading your libraries to TB drives will certainly help. SSDs will make them more efficient. With mechanical drives, externals are no faster over TB than usb3 or eSATA as the platter speed is your ceiling.

Your setup isn't that much different than mine - except I don't have TB (just one eSATA port) and am not using Omnisphere. 20-30 tracks of audio with 4-6 VIs isn't unusual for me but I sometimes feel that I am reaching the practical limits of my rig. As I am contemplating larger projects down the road, I am looking at beefier hardware.

[Prime Mover]

I just finished an album primarily on a 13" MBP i5. At least 24 audio tracks per sequence and twice as many VIs. Very little issues. 15" i7 will be more than enough, IMO. I've only brought my i5 to its knees with large orchestral templates, and even then, it's been manageable. This year's MBP is two-years-agos Mac Pro. At least that's what happened to me. I bought my MBP to supplement my Mac Pro, and quickly found it to be superior in just about every way.

The only thing I would consider is taking out the optical drive, putting it in an external shell, and popping a second drive in. Could be an SSD, could be an HDD. I'm not convinced that SSDs are going to provide a huge difference over the simple benefit of having a non-OS secondary drive.

Also, see if you can buy the lowest amount of RAM and Hard Drive possible and getting them third party: Apple sells s**t for drives, and their RAM is ungodly overpriced. Beef the CPU and gut everything else, that's what I would do. I've never come close to even using 8GB RAM though, to tell the truth, even running full tilt. The HD and CPU will run into a brick wall long before you hit 16GB.

Computers are pretty amazing these days, don't you think?

[mikehalloran]

Also, see if you can buy the lowest amount of RAM and Hard Drive possible and getting them third party:

Not an issue with MacBook Retina from 2012 on and all of the 2013 MPB. They cannot be expanded: soldered RAM and flash drives only except for the only base non-Retina MBP. How you get'em is how they is. Same with the MB Air.

Eric, are you using Omnisphere?

I didn't expect any real world difference between the i5 and i7. Then I started a project on my 2010 i7, worked on it in a 2011 i5 with near the same speed and finished it on my machine. On many tasks, the speed bump due to the i7 FPU was huge; on others it wasn't noticeable. After I was done, I A/B'd certain DP tasks on my machine and my wife's - identical to my friend's - and noticed the same thing. An i5 is ok but it is slower for DP.

[stevelees]

Thank you all for your input, greatly appreciated.

I already own the Macbook Pro Retina, I have had it for about 18 months. I want to offload my Mac Pro as it is approaching 4 years old and is heating my room too much. (Yes it is a small room!) It has a Nvidia Quadra 4000 video card in it and that is adding to the power consumption and heat output it seems.

So basically I am using any cash from the sale of the MP to fund the extras I need for the MBP rig such as the Thunderbolt adapter for the Apollo, a LaCie 2big 6TB drive etc.

I feel confident to make the move now based on your feedback and a recently found comparison of the performance of my MBP to the MP....it eats it! Thanks again.

[Prime Mover]

Not an issue with MacBook Retina from 2012 on and all of the 2013 MPB. They cannot be expanded: soldered RAM and flash drives only except for the only base non-Retina MBP.

Oh man... oh man... that is so bad. I'm soooo sorry. I will never buy one of these devices. I'm kind of in shock to hear they did that. So glad I got mine when I did (early 2011 MBP). Takes care of any of my pining for a new MBP (which I'm not really, anyway).

[FutureLegends]

Oh man... oh man... that is so bad. I'm soooo sorry. I will never buy one of these devices. I'm kind of in shock to hear they did that. So glad I got mine when I did (early 2011 MBP). Takes care of any of my pining for a new MBP (which I'm not really, anyway).

I actually don't think it's such a big deal. As long as you get it with max ram. That means 16gb! My old Macbook Pro on which I could upgrade the ram in myself maxed out at 3gb
Sure it means you have to put a bit more money upfront. But it's worth it cause they are absolutely fantastic machines!

[Prime Mover]

The problem is the price gouging. In the past, when I've calculated Apple's prices, I've noticed that they really charge a premium for upgrades that shouldn't really be that much. In fact, to the extent that it's often cheaper to buy a low end option and upgrade it, even throwing away the existing options. RAM especially, is about 2x as expensive as purchasing the SAME RAM independently. Hard Drives are even worse, but of course, those aren't soldiered in and can be replaced. Often, they only offer 5400rpm drives, and Apple has, in the past, tried to limit the size of the drives because larger drives tend to take a bit more power and customers complain of battery drain.

Last time I bought a Mac Book, I bought THE MOST BASIC option, gutted it, and replaced all the upgradable components. By my calculations, I saved a bundle of money and could pick the best components.

[mikehalloran]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

I qualify for EDU pricing on the new Mac Pro. 32G RAM from Apple is $450, from OWC, it's $449.

The other Mac I'm considering is the new iMac where the difference is $540 (Apple) vs $375 (OWC). Still not 2x, however. But not so fast, order the iMac with 16G RAM (8x2) for $180 and get two more 8g modules from OWC for $189 - total: $369.

[Avishai]

Setting up my new 2014 15" MacBook Pro 2.8Ghz with DP using Apollo Quad. Moving from a mid 2010 MacBook Pro. I welcome the new environment and hoping for few hiccups.


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[Nibiru]

Please let us know how it goes!!!